Kaul said he began growing it because his grandfather and great-grandfather planted it.

“My great-grandfather bartered for a quarter-section of land," Kaul said. "If he raised 1000 bushels of this here grain, he got the land. They’re the only ones that had the seed.”

Kaul says Emmer is used in cattle feed, and also to make flatbreads. He called it is a good addition to his farm, where he grows a variety of organic crops.

“When I went from the conventional grains – the wheat of today – to Emmer, I increased my yield by at least 20 percent," Kaul said.

Wayne Mittleider farms near Tappan. He’s been a certified organic farmer since the early 1980s. He, too, grows a variety of organic crops.

Mittleider said he got into organic for two reasons.

“Number one, we kinda grew up that way," Mittleider said. "The other thing is we were concerned about health issues, with possible spray contaminations and things like that. Where we live, it’s quite sandy, and water tables are real high.”

Mittleider said by avoiding some of the chemical inputs, he’s been able to see higher prices for his commodities.

The growing consumer demand for organics has also affected the processing business as well.

Stone Mill, in Richardton, ND, processes organic crops, as well as some of the healthier row crops, like garbanzo beans.

Mill co-owner Daneen Dressler said the demand for organics has grown substantially.

“It's a domestic market that has really built on itself in the last ten years," Dressler said. So much so, in fact, that Stone Mill is undergoing a major expansion.

“We’re tripling the facility at this very moment," Dressler said.

Farmers who want to be certified organic have some hoops to jump through. Christina Dockter is the vice-president for operations for International Certification Services, an organic certifier.

Dockter said there are a number of steps for a farmer to receive certification. The main step?